Writing in thePhiladelphia Inquirer about a loophole in the Affordable Care Act which disadvantages those who need colorectal cancer screening most, PRC Researcher Chyke A. Doubeni, MD, suggests that “this unfortunate scenario occurs in part because the U.S. Congress unfairly limits the ability of low-income Medicare beneficiaries to receive screening. This compounds other barriers and perpetuates long-standing disparities in mortality from colon cancer for seniors.”

Doubeni notes that misclassifiying colonoscopy as a “one-time activity” rather than including it in the screening menu of “a series of clinical activities involved in identifying and testing patients and performing diagnostic confirmation when necessary” makes the test available only to Medicare patients who can afford supplemental policies.

Q & A Spotlight

I love the city, urban life, and all its diversity. In my work, my perspective is that of a scientist and of a city dweller because I am both. I think about my family, the families I know, the families who do not have the same access to the same opportunities and bring all that together as I try to figure out how to make this city more equitable for all who live here.

This website is supported by Cooperative Agreement Number 1 U48DP005053 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the UPenn Prevention Research Center and do not necessarily represent the official views of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.